Vehicle assembly with display and corrective lens

ABSTRACT

Assemblies are provided for vehicles having an occupant seat. The assemblies comprise a display and a corrective lens. The corrective lens is disposed between the display and the occupant seat.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field generally relates to the field of vehicles and, morespecifically, to a vehicle assembly with a display and a correctivelens.

BACKGROUND

Many vehicles include a display viewed by the driver, such as a videoscreen in a rear view mirror assembly that is coupled to a rear viewcamera for the vehicle. However, such a display may not always be easilyviewed in an optimal matter. For example, if a driver of the vehicle isfar-sighted or is wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct anear-sighted optical condition, the driver's view of the display may notbe as clear as desired.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide improved assemblies for vehiclesthat provide for improved viewing of such displays, such as thosecoupled to a back-up camera of the vehicle, for example for people thatmay be nearsighted or wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct afar sighted optical condition.

SUMMARY

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, an assembly for a vehiclehaving an occupant seat is provided. The assembly comprises a displayand a corrective lens. The corrective lens is disposed between thedisplay and the occupant seat.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, a rear view mirrorassembly for a vehicle having a front seat is provided. The rear viewmirror assembly comprises a housing, a video screen and a mirror. Thevideo screen is disposed within the housing, and is coupled to a back-upcamera for the vehicle. The mirror is disposed within the housingbetween the video screen and the front seat. The corrective lens isdisposed between the video screen and the front seat. The correctivelens is movable between a first position, in which the corrective lenscovers the video screen, and a second position, in which the correctivelens does not cover the video screen.

In accordance with a further exemplary embodiment, a vehicle isprovided. The vehicle comprises a body, an occupant seat, and anassembly. The body forms an interior of the vehicle. The occupant seatis disposed within the interior. The assembly comprises a display and acorrective lens. The corrective lens is disposed between the display andthe occupant seat.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will hereinafter be described in conjunction withthe following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote likeelements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle that includes anassembly having a display and a corrective lens, in accordance with anexemplary embodiment;

FIGS. 2-5 include schematic, exploded view, and sectional diagrams ofthe assembly of FIG. 1 in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment,in which the assembly comprises a rear view mirror assembly in which thecorrective lens is slidably movable into and out of a housing of theassembly;

FIGS. 6-8 include schematic and sectional schematic diagrams of theassembly of FIG. 1 in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment, inwhich the assembly comprises a rear view mirror assembly in which thecorrective lens is rotatably movable between a first position and asecond position;

FIGS. 9 and 10 include schematic and sectional schematic diagrams of theassembly of FIG. 1 in accordance with an alternate exemplary embodiment,in which the assembly comprises a gauge for an instrument panel of thevehicle; and

FIGS. 11 and 12 include schematic and sectional schematic diagrams ofthe assembly of FIG. 1 in accordance with another alternate exemplaryembodiment, in which the assembly comprises an infotainment of thevehicle that provides information or entertainment to occupants of thevehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and isnot intended to limit the disclosure or the application and usesthereof. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theorypresented in the preceding background or the following detaileddescription.

FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle 100, according to an exemplary embodiment.As described in greater detail further below, the vehicle 100 includesan assembly 115 used by occupants of the vehicle 100 for viewing adisplay 124. In one such embodiment, depicted in FIG. 1, the assembly115 comprises a rear view mirror assembly 135 of the vehicle 100, andthe display 124 comprises a video screen of the rear view mirrorassembly 135. In another embodiment, the assembly 115 comprises aninstrument panel 145 of the vehicle 100, and the display 124 is part ofa gauge for the instrument panel 145. In yet another embodiment, theassembly 115 comprises an infotainment unit 155 of the vehicle 100(i.e., a unit that provides information and/or entertainment for vehicleoccupants, preferably occupants of the rear rows 110 of the vehicle100), and the display 124 is part of a video screen for the infotainmentunit 155. The vehicle 100 preferably comprises an automobile. Thevehicle 100 may be any one of a number of different types ofautomobiles, such as, for example, a sedan, a wagon, a truck, or a sportutility vehicle (SUV), and may be two-wheel drive (2WD) (i.e.,rear-wheel drive or front-wheel drive), four-wheel drive (4WD) orall-wheel drive (AWD), and/or various other types of vehicles in certainembodiments.

The vehicle 100 includes a body 102 that is arranged on a chassis 104.The body 102 substantially encloses other components of the vehicle 100.The body 102 and the chassis 104 may jointly form a frame. The vehicle100 also includes a plurality of wheels 106. The wheels 106 are eachrotationally coupled to the chassis 104 near a respective corner of thebody 102 to facilitate movement of the vehicle 100. In a preferredembodiment, the vehicle 100 includes four wheels 106, although this mayvary in other embodiments (for example for trucks and certain othervehicles).

The drive system 107 is mounted on the chassis 104, and drives thewheels 106. The drive system 107 preferably comprises a propulsionsystem. In certain exemplary embodiments, the drive system 107 comprisesan internal combustion engine and/or an electric motor/generator,coupled with a transmission thereof. In certain embodiments, the drivesystem 107 may vary, and/or two or more drive systems 107 may be used.By way of example, the vehicle 100 may also incorporate any one of, orcombination of, a number of different types of propulsion systems, suchas, for example, a gasoline or diesel fueled combustion engine, a “flexfuel vehicle” (FFV) engine (i.e., using a mixture of gasoline andalcohol), a gaseous compound (e.g., hydrogen and/or natural gas) fueledengine, a combustion/electric motor hybrid engine, and an electricmotor.

As depicted in FIG. 1, the vehicle 100 includes a front row 109 ofpassenger seating (also referred to as front seats) and a rear row 110of passenger seating (also referred to as rear seats) within an interiorof the vehicle 100 enclosed by the body 102. In the depicted embodiment,there is one rear row 110 of passenger seating. However, in certainother embodiments there may be two or more rear rows 110 of passengerseating, or no rear rows 110 in certain embodiments. The front row 109and rear row(s) 110 may be collectively referred to as occupant seats ofthe vehicle 100.

With further reference to FIG. 1, a front portion 112 of the vehicle 100is referred to herein as the region inside the body 102 of the vehicle100 that is (i) in front of the front row 109 and that is (ii) visibleto occupants of the vehicle that are seated in the front row 109 whilefacing forward. A rear portion 114 of the vehicle 100 is referred toherein as region inside the body 102 of the vehicle 100 that is behindthe front row 109.

As depicted in FIG. 1, in certain embodiments the assembly 115 comprisesa mirror assembly 135 for the vehicle 100. As depicted, the mirrorassembly 135 comprises a rear view mirror assembly 135 disposed in thefront portion 112 of the vehicle 100. In certain embodiments, the mirrorassembly 135 may comprise one or more side mirrors disposed outside thevehicle 100. In the rear view mirror assembly 135 embodiment of FIG. 1,the assembly 115 includes a housing 120, a mirror 122, a display 124,and a corrective lens 126. In one embodiment, the housing 120 ispreferably attached, directly or indirectly, to the front windshield orto the headliner of the vehicle 100.

With respect to the rear view mirror assembly 135 embodiments for theassembly 115, the mirror 122 is disposed at least partially within thehousing 120, preferably proximate a front portion of the housing 120 ona side of the housing 120 facing the front seats 109. The mirror 122preferably comprises a rear view mirror for the vehicle 100. In oneembodiment, the mirror 122 comprises a two-way mirror that is partiallytransparent and partially reflective. In one such embodiment, the mirror122 comprises a core material (preferably a glass material) and acoating (preferably a silver coating) on one side of the core material.

The display 124 is disposed within the housing 120, preferably proximatea rear portion of the housing 120 on a side of the housing 120 proximatethe front windshield (and away from the front seats 109). Accordingly,the display 124 is disposed between the mirror 122 and the windshield.Alternatively stated, the mirror 122 is disposed between the display 124and the front seats 109. As depicted in FIG. 1, the display 124 covers aportion of the mirror 122, but not the entire mirror 122, so that themirror 122 and the display 124 can be used simultaneously. Preferably,the display 124 is visible only when the vehicle 100 is in a reversegear. In the depicted embodiment, the display 124 comprises a videoscreen that is coupled to a rear view camera 130 of the vehicle 100(preferably, a rear view camera that is mounted on a rear portion of thevehicle 100 and that provides video images from behind the vehicle,particularly when the vehicle is backing up in reverse). In oneexemplary embodiment the display 124 comprises a liquid crystal display(LCD) screen or a light emitting diode (LED) screen.

The corrective lens 126 is disposed between the display 124 and thefront seats 109. The corrective lens 126 is approximately the size ofthe display 124. The corrective lens 126 is movable between a firstposition, in which the corrective lens 126 covers the display 124, and asecond position, in which the corrective lens 126 does not cover thedisplay 124. The corrective lens 126 modifies the focal length of theimage from the display 124 such that it corrects for the far sightednessof the vehicle occupant when the corrective lens 126 is in the firstposition. The corrective lens 126 preferably comprises a convex lens. Inone embodiment, the corrective lens 126 is made of a plastic material.In another embodiment, the corrective lens 126 is made of a glassmaterial. The corrective lens 126 and the mirror 122 are both disposedbetween the display 124 and the front seat 109.

FIGS. 2-5 depict the assembly 115 of FIG. 1 in accordance with a firstexemplary embodiment for the rear view mirror assembly 135 embodimentsof FIG. 1. In the embodiment of FIGS. 2-5, the assembly 115 comprises arear view mirror assembly 135 in which the corrective lens 126 isslidably movable into and out of the housing 120. Also as shown in FIGS.2-5, the housing 120 is connected to the headliner 202 of the vehicle100 via a base 200 (in certain examples, the housing 120 may instead beconnected to a windshield of the vehicle).

As depicted in FIGS. 2-5, the corrective lens 126 is slidable between afirst position and a second position. When in the first position(depicted in FIG. 2), the corrective lens 126 covers the display 124, tothereby modify the focal length of the image from the display 124 forviewing by the driver. Also, when in the first position of FIG. 2, thecorrective lens 126 is disposed within the housing 120, between thedisplay 124 and the mirror 122. In addition, when in the first positionof FIG. 2, the mirror 122 is disposed at least partially within thehousing 120 between the display 124 and the front seats 109 (and betweenthe corrective lens 126 and the front seats 109).

Also as shown in FIG. 2, when in the first position, the corrective lens126 is disposed within the housing 120 against a stop 206 on one side,and is held in place on an opposite side by a cap 300 that may or maynot be integral to the corrective lens 126. In one embodiment, thecorrective lens 126 snaps into place within the housing 120 while in thefirst position of FIG. 2. In another embodiment, the cap 300 comprises alatching feature for securing the corrective lens 126 in place while inthe first position of FIG. 2.

When in the second position (depicted in FIG. 3), the corrective lens126 does not cover the display 124. Specifically, when in the secondposition of FIG. 3, the corrective lens 126 is disposed outside thehousing 120, so that the focal length correction is not provided for thedisplay 124.

By way of example, the corrective lens 126 may remain in the firstposition of FIG. 2, within the housing 120 and covering the display 124,when the vehicle 100 is operated by a driver that requires thecorrective lens 126 (for example, a driver with a far-sighted condition,or that is wearing eyeglasses to correct a near-sighted condition). Byway of further example, the corrective lens 126 may be removed from thehousing 120 into the second position of FIG. 3 when the vehicle isoperated by a driver that does not require the corrective lens 126.FIGS. 4 and 5 are also provided showing an exploded view and a sectionalview, respectively, of the assembly in accordance with the firstembodiment of FIGS. 2-5.

FIGS. 6-8 depict the assembly 115 of FIG. 1 in accordance with a secondexemplary embodiment of the rear view mirror assembly 135 embodiments ofFIG. 1. In the embodiment of FIGS. 6-8, the assembly 115 comprises arear view mirror assembly 135 in which the corrective lens 126 isrotatably movable about an axis with respect to the housing 120, themirror 122, and the display 124. Also as shown in FIGS. 6-8, the housing120 is connected to the headliner 202 of the vehicle 100 via a base 200(in some embodiments, the housing 120 may instead be connected to thefront windshield of the vehicle).

As depicted in FIGS. 6-8, a top portion of the corrective lens 126 isattached to the housing 120, above the mirror 122, and is rotatablebetween a first (flip-down) position and a second (flip-up) position.When in the first position (depicted in FIG. 6), the corrective lens 126covers the display 124, to thereby modify the focal length of thedisplay 124 for the driver. Also when in the first position of FIG. 6,the mirror 122 is disposed against the housing 120, adjacent to themirror 122. In addition, when in the first position of FIG. 6, themirror 122 is disposed at least partially within the housing 120 betweenthe display 124 and the front seats 109, and the corrective lens 126 isdisposed between the mirror 122 and the front seats 109.

When in the second position (depicted in FIG. 7), the corrective lens126 does not cover the display 124. Specifically, when in the secondposition of FIG. 7, the corrective lens 126 is rotated away from themirror 122 and the display 124, so that focal length correction is notprovided for the display 124. In one example, the corrective lens 126may be substantially perpendicular to the mirror 122 and the display 124when in the second position of FIG. 7. In another example, thecorrective lens 126 may be substantially flush with a roof or headlinerof the vehicle 100 when in the second position.

By way of example, the corrective lens 126 may remain in the firstposition of FIG. 6 when the corrective lens 126 is needed, for examplewhen the vehicle is backing up and the rear view camera 130 of FIG. 1 isneeded (for example by a driver with a far-sighted condition, or that iswearing eyeglasses to correct a near-sighted condition). By way offurther example, the corrective lens 126 may be rotated into the secondposition of FIG. 7 when the corrective lens 126 is not required, forexample when the rear-view camera 130 is not in use, or when the vehicle100 is being operated by a driver that does not require the correctivelens 126 at all. FIG. 8 is also provided showing a sectional view of theassembly 115 in accordance with the second embodiment of FIGS. 6-8.

Returning to FIG. 1, and as mentioned above, in an alternate embodiment,the assembly 115 comprises an instrument panel 145 for the vehicle 100.The instrument panel 145 may be located, by way of example, in front ofthe driver's side of the front row 109 of the vehicle, and/or above therear view mirror assembly 135 of FIG. 1. Similar to the mirror assembly135 embodiments, the assembly 115 of the instrument panel 145embodiments also includes a housing 120, a display 124, and a correctivelens 126.

FIGS. 9 and 10 depict, in greater detail, one such exemplary embodimentin which the assembly 115 comprises an instrument panel 145 for thevehicle 100. The housing 120 is preferably formed integral with thevehicle body 102 of FIG. 1, for example as part of a dash board and/orheadliner of the vehicle 100. The display 124 is disposed within thehousing 120. In one embodiment, the display 124 comprises a gauge forthe instrument panel 145. The display 124 provides information fordisplay for the driver and/or one or more occupants of the vehicle (suchas, by way of example, a compass heading and/or a temperature inside oroutside the vehicle 100). In one such embodiment, the display 124comprises a video screen. The corrective lens 126 is removable from thehousing 120. When the corrective lens 126 is attached to the housing120, the corrective lens 126 covers the display 124 (and is disposedbetween the display 124 and the front seat 109), to thereby modify thefocal length of the image from the display 124 for viewing by thedriver. When the corrective lens 126 is removed from the housing 120(and is no longer disposed between the display 124 and the front seat109), the focal length of the image is not modified. In one embodiment,the corrective lens 126 snaps into and out of place against the housing120.

Returning to FIG. 1, and as mentioned above, in another alternateembodiment, the assembly 115 comprises an infotainment unit 155 for thevehicle 100. The infotainment unit 115 may provide movies, video games,and/or other entertainment and/or information for occupants, preferablyof the rear seats 110 of the vehicle 100. Similar to the otherembodiments discussed above, the assembly 115 of the infotainment unit115 also includes a housing 120, a display 124, and a corrective lens126.

FIGS. 11 and 12 depict, in greater detail, one such exemplary embodimentin which the assembly 115 comprises an infotainment unit 155 for thevehicle 100. The housing 120 is preferably formed integral with thevehicle body 102 of FIG. 1 (for example as part of the headliner) orformed integral or attached against a rear portion of the front seats109. The display 124 is disposed within the housing 120. In oneembodiment, the display 124 comprises a video screen for viewing movies,video games, and/or other entertainment and/or information content, andfaces the rear seats 110 so that occupants of the rear seats 110 canview the display 124. The corrective lens 126 is removable from thehousing 120. When the corrective lens 126 is attached to the housing120, the corrective lens 126 covers the display 124 (and is disposedbetween the display 124 and the rear seats 110), to thereby modify thefocal length of the image from the display 124 for viewing by the rearpassengers. When the corrective lens 126 is removed from the housing 120(and is no longer disposed between the display 124 and the rear seats110), the focal length of the image is not modified. In one embodiment,the corrective lens 126 snaps into and out of place against the housing120.

Accordingly, in any of the above embodiments, the assembly 115 providesfor focal length modification of the display 124 via a corrective lens126 when desired. The corrective lens is easily removable when it is notneeded.

It will be appreciated that the devices, assemblies, systems, andvehicles may vary from those depicted in the Figures and describedherein. For example, the vehicle 100, the assembly 115, and/or variouscomponents thereof may vary from that depicted in FIGS. 1-12 anddescribed in connection therewith.

While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in theforegoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vastnumber of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that theexemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and arenot intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of thedisclosure in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description willprovide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map forimplementing the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments. Itshould be understood that various changes can be made in the functionand arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of thedisclosure as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalentsthereof

What is claimed is:
 1. An assembly for a vehicle having an occupant seat, the assembly comprising: a display; and a corrective lens disposed between the display and the occupant seat.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the corrective lens comprises a convex lens.
 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the corrective lens is movable between: a first position in which the corrective lens covers the display; and a second position in which the corrective lens does not cover the display.
 4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the corrective lens is slidable between the first position and the second position.
 5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the corrective lens is rotatable between the first position and the second position.
 6. The assembly of claim 3, wherein: the occupant seat comprises a front seat of the vehicle; the assembly further comprises a rear view mirror; the display comprises a video screen that is coupled to a back-up camera for the vehicle; and the rear view mirror and the corrective lens are disposed between the video screen and the front seat.
 7. The assembly of claim 6, further comprising: a housing; wherein: the rear view mirror is disposed within the housing between the video screen and the occupant seat; the corrective lens is disposed in the housing between the video screen and the rear view mirror when in the first position; and the corrective lens is outside the housing when in the second position.
 8. The assembly of claim 6, further comprising: a housing; wherein: the rear view mirror is disposed within the housing between the video screen and the occupant seat; and the corrective lens is connected to the housing and is disposed between the rear view mirror and the occupant seat when in the first position.
 9. A rear view mirror assembly for a vehicle having a front seat, the rear view mirror assembly comprising: a housing; a video screen disposed within the housing and coupled to a back-up camera for the vehicle; a mirror disposed within the housing between the video screen and the front seat; and a corrective lens disposed between the video screen and the front seat, the corrective lens movable between: a first position in which the corrective lens covers the video screen; and a second position in which the corrective lens does not cover the video screen.
 10. The rear view mirror assembly of claim 9, wherein the corrective lens comprises a convex lens.
 11. The rear view mirror assembly of claim 9, wherein the corrective lens is slidable between the first position and the second position.
 12. The rear view mirror assembly of claim 9, wherein the corrective lens is rotatable between the first position and the second position.
 13. The rear view mirror assembly of claim 9, wherein the corrective lens is disposed: in the housing between the video screen and the mirror when in the first position; and outside the housing when in the second position.
 14. The rear view mirror assembly of claim 9, wherein the corrective lens is connected to the housing and is disposed between the mirror and the front seat when in the first position.
 15. A vehicle comprising: a body forming an interior of the vehicle; an occupant seat within the interior; and an assembly comprising: a display; and a corrective lens disposed between the display and the occupant seat.
 16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the corrective lens comprises a convex lens.
 17. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the corrective lens is movable between: a first position in which the corrective lens covers the display; and a second position in which the corrective lens does not cover the display.
 18. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein: the occupant seat comprises a front seat of the vehicle; the assembly further comprises a rear view mirror; the display comprises a video screen that is coupled to a back-up camera for the vehicle; and the rear view mirror and the corrective lens are disposed between the video screen and the front seat.
 19. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the vehicle includes an instrument panel, and the display comprises a gauge for the instrument panel.
 20. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the vehicle includes a rear infotainment unit, and the display comprises a video screen for the rear infotainment unit. 